Shocking! EU Dumps Carbon Tax On Air Travel

BRUSSELS — The European Union executive caved in to critics of its contested carbon tax on air travel Monday, offering to "stop the clock" and freeze the measure for a year on flights to and from non-European nations.

The EU's climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard said at a hastily arranged news conference that she had just recommended in a phone conversation with the 27 EU nations that the tax be suspended in the interests of negotiating a global CO2 deal.

"Finally we have a chance to get an international regulation on emissions from aviation," Hedegaard said, referring to progress on the matter at a Friday meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal.

"But let me be very clear: if this exercise does not deliver -- and I hope it does -- then needless to say we are back to where we are today with the EU ETS (Emissions Trading Scheme). Automatically!" she stressed. The suspension of the CO2 tax would affect flights "to and from non-European countries", meaning European airlines will continue to pay.